Bioshock Infinite ending (My version!)
by Prawnotron
Summary: Title says it all! This is basically an alternate version of Bioshock Infinite's ending, but the same result. Enjoy!
1. Comstock house

(Starting from the arrival at Comstock house.)

Booker and Elizabeth arrived at the bridge leading to Comstock house. While Elizabeth looked across at the storm surrounding the fortress, Booker noticed something about his companion he never noticed before. It's almost as if he seen her before he even got to Columbia. Noticing his staring, Elizabeth asked 'Booker? Are you okay?' He answered 'Have we met? Before I got here, I mean.' When she told him she would have remembered, he finished 'never mind. Let's just get moving.' After pulling the control switch for the bridge, Songbird appeared out of nowhere and knocked Booker to the floor. 'Run Elizabeth!' He shouted as the beast of America(yes, pun intended) grabbed him and threw him into a nearby structure.

After another trip to his office, Booker forced himself to stand as Songbird smashed a hole in the ceiling and climbed in. Charging up his "devil's kiss" vigor, Booker taunted 'I'm right here you son of a bitch. COME ON!' In response, Songbird threw a taloned punch but missed as Booker forward rolled and set his left wing ablaze. Screeching in rage, Songbird lashed backwards as Booker jumped back onto the bridge. Reloading his hand cannon, Booker saw Elizabeth was still there. 'What the hell are you doing here?' He asked, panicked. 'I can't just leave you here!' She replied as Songbird jumped from the structure. As he examined his enemy, Booker noticed Songbird's right eye was webbed in cracks from their first encounter. Reacting quickly, Booker fired at the damaged porthole, causing Songbird to clutch his head, writhing in pain. Now dangerously close to the edge of the bridge, Booker blasted undertow at Songbird, throwing hi off the bridge. 'The bridge isn't ready yet!' Called Elizabeth. Booker looked at the slowly descending mechanism, then at Songbird flying extremely high for another attack. This was getting ridiculous.

Booker quickly got his shotgun and started firing clusters of buckshot at the rapidly descending monster, until he was nearly crushed as he landed. Thrown to the bridge's edge, Booker was defenceless as Songbird raised his fist, his talons clearly visible where the knuckles should be. 'Stop! Don't hurt him!' Elizabeth begged her warden. Gently nudging her out of the way, Songbird launched his fist, about to reduce Booker Dewitt to a bloody stain. 'Oh shit!' Was all he had time to think in those last seconds...

'I'M SORRY!' Elizabeth shouted at the Songbird, saving Booker's life at the last split second as the talons were centimetres from his face but stopped instantly. Taking a moment, Songbird looked at Elizabeth in confusion. What the hell was going on? Why was she apologising to that thing? 'Just...just take me back. Please.' Booker understood what was going on as soon as Elizabeth said that. She was going back to Comstock for god knows what he's planning, to prevent his own gruesome death. Songbird's glass eyes then glowed green as he accepted her offer. He then grabbed Elizabeth and flew off before Booker could do anything to stop him. 'ELIZABETH!' He shouted. Refusing to give in, he jumped sprinted full pelt across the bridge.

'What a ridiculous view.' Robert Lutece complained. He turned to his "sister" and asked 'honestly Rosalind. Did you suggest I try to admire the scenery from here just so...'

'So I could see that hilarious expression on your face?' Rosalind finished for him. 'Yes Robert.' Before he could say anything else, he frowned. 'Is that mr. Dewitt running at us with a gun and looking furious?' Rosalind looked as well and nodded. 'Yes it is. If I had a guess, I'd say Elizabeth has just been retaken by her protector, and mr. Dewitt is refusing to give up. I admire that.' Robert suddenly looked alarmed. 'Wait a minute...' As soon as Booker got to them, Robert sighed in relief. 'Thank goodness. I thought Songbird was going to intercept him and tear him apart 5 seconds before he reached us...again.' Rosalind replied 'Yes. It was very disgusting then.' When Booker saw them, he groaned 'Jesus Christ. I don't have time for this crap!' Rosalind pointed to a 3rd floor window and said 'Elizabeth's up there, or at least, will be there. In about 30 seconds.' Robert then gave Booker an RPG. 'What?' He started. 'Where did you...?' In reply, Robert said 'why always ask "what?" Wouldn't you just be happy with a big weapon? 20 seconds.' Wasting no time, Booker blew apart the window and climbed along the side to reach it. As he entered, Rosalind said '10 seconds.'

The hallway doors opened, revealing Elizabeth flanked by 2 founders with machine guns. Before they could react, a cloud of crows swarmed at them, pecking at the guards. As one of them tried to escape, there were 2 loud gunshots, and they were both dead. Turning around, Elizabeth saw Booker with a hand cannon, looking determined. 'Told you they weren't getting you.' He said with a smirk. At a loss for words at first, Elizabeth then panicked 'behind you!' Before Booker could respond to the sound of something landing behind him, Songbird quickly climbed through the window and struck.

'What the-AAAAGH!' Booker yelled as a single metal talon stabbed through his back, right inbetween his lungs. Songbird withdrew his fist, then backhanded Booker to the wall. As he lay in a pool of his own blood, Booker faintly heard someone screaming for him. 'No! Booker!' His vision fading, he could just make out more founders running in and restraining Elizabeth, who was trying to run to him, horrified. Seconds later, everything went dark, and Booker went limp. Knowing he was dead, Elizabeth was on her knees, crying hysterically. After dragging her up, the founders then continued escorting her to the lab, and she went willingly, finally giving up hope. Once she was gone, Songbird turned to the window to leave, but hesitated. He was built specifically to protect her, but has he just doomed her instead? He never stopped to think about his purpose, but was killing Dewitt a bad idea? Looking back, Songbird noticed that Booker's body was gone. In it's place, there was a note saying 'bird or cage? -prof. L'


	2. Shit gets real

Booker woke up in his office...again. Looking around, he saw he was on a mattress, a large bandage around his wounded area under his Jacket. Looking around, he saw the Lutece twins talking. 'I knew we should have warned him Songbird was going to follow him inside.' Robert said. 'I'm just glad he was only dead for a few seconds. If he completely died before he finished his job, he would have been very disappointed.' Rosalind replied. Robert nodded. 'We could have just tried again with a different version of him, but I'm starting to grow fond of this attempt.' Booker sat up, ignoring the massive aching across his torso, and asked 'What the hell is going on? How am I here? I died, didn't I?' Rosalind answered 'How many times must we tell you? It all depends on the tense you use. Lives, lived, will live.' Robert finished 'Dies, died, will die.' Booker lay down again in annoyance. 'Just for once,' he started. 'Can you explain something that makes any damn sense?' Rosalind then gave him a card showing a picture of a cage, while Robert opened the door to the same corridor where everything went wrong. 'Just out of curiosity, mr. Dewitt.' Robert said. 'What's your plan now? Break in like the devilish rogue you are, get Elizabeth out of there, break out again also with your ingenuity? What happens after?' Booker stood up and straightened his torn red tie. 'Columbia's gone to hell, and I'm done with this deal. I'm getting her to Paris like I said, then move on. If I see Comstock or Songbird on the way, I wouldn't mind settling the score.' Rosalind pointed at the card she gave him and said 'Next time you cross paths with the bird, use this. It will make sense later.' Confused, Booker pocketed it and walked to the door after taking his pistol from the desk. 'You know, she's actually quite fond of you.' Robert told him matter-of-factly. 'I doubt "moving on" will be so easy.' Booker turned to him and said 'the sooner I'm out of her life, the better things will be.' Rosalind rolled her eyes in annoyance and told him 'If you insist on fighting your way to her, you'll need help.' She opened a large cardboard box containing a holster, a pistol, a shotgun, and what looked like a flat, square flute. 'It's a whistler.' She told him. 'Just give it to her along with the card when Songbird finds you, and he will.' Holstering his dual pistols and pumping his shotgun, Booker turned to ask if there's anything else he should know about, but they were gone. 'Should have known.' He exclaimed as he stepped outside, the office disappearing behind him.

'Is it secure enough?' Asked a scientist. Checking Elizabeth's back, his partner gripped the long yellow device "plugged" into her spine. 'Yes. It should give us what we need over her nervous system.' As the scientist pressed a button, the machinery powered up, closely followed by Elizabeth screaming. After a minute of it, the other scientist turned it off. 'Let's try not to overdo it. We're trying to cure her mind, not break it. The last thing we need is to drive the prophet's heir insane.' His superior took charge of the controls and nodded. 'Alright. Let's try this again.' Elizabeth looked at him and begged 'please stop. It hurts. Please.' Ignoring her, he activated the device, sending electrical impulses into her nervous system. If he knew someone would be following her screams, he probably would have reconsidered his decision. Seconds after she started screaming again, Booker burst through the doors and saw what they were doing. Panicked, the scientist turned the machine off, but that didn't make a difference to his fate. Elizabeth stared at Booker in disbelief before noticing he was angrier than she ever seen him. As founder soldiers came down to shoot him, he pulled out both of his pistols and fired all round him, killing the founders. In fear, the second scientist tried to escape, until Booker fired a bolt of shock jockey then 3 bullets at him, blowing apart his head and disintegrating the body. Turning towards the machine, Booker blasted the glass barrier with his shotgun and stepped inside. 'Let her out.' He growled in anger. Knowing he didn't have a choice, the scientist released Elizabeth's restraints. 'All right. She's free. You can...what are you doing? No, please!' He was cut off when Booker spun up his skyhook and decapitated him. Hearing a loud stomping sound after he turned off the siphon, Booker saw a handyman enter the lab. Before he could do anything though, a large tear opened on the wall, revealing a tornado raging across a field. Now exposed, the lab was torn apart with the handyman and the remaining founders sucked to their deaths before the tear was closed. Remembering Elizabeth's reaction after killing Fitzroy, Booker expected another mental breakdown, but she didn't seem bothered about killing everyone else in the lab at all, which worried him. As he went to inspect the device, Elizabeth hugged him quickly and cried. 'I thought you were dead.' She told him. 'I was.' He said. 'For a bit.' After breaking off, he looked at the torture machine and guessed it went pretty deep as she winced when he just gripped it. 'Just pull it out.' She told him. Not liking the situation, he told her 'Alright. On 3. 1,' he then yanked the device out, causing her to cry out. '2, 3.' He finished. Elizabeth glared at him and asked 'why did you do that? I wasn't ready for that!' Booker nodded and replied 'exactly.' As he helped tighten her corset, she examined the car with the cage drawing. 'I don't get it. Those two told you to show me this?' He confirmed it and passed her the blue jacket. 'Alright. There's probably barges around here. We grab one, then get to Paris. Agreed?' suggested Booker. To his surprise, Elizabeth said 'no. We need to stop Comstock. I'm going after him.' Booker couldn't believe this. 'Then what? You kill him?' Elizabeth looked at him determinately and asked 'What? Is this where you finally start moralising?' Booker shook his head and told her 'I can't let you kill him.' Starting to get angry, Elizabeth reopened the tornado-tear as if she was threatening him then asked 'What are you going to do to stop me then?' Booker shook his head and replied 'Not a damn thing. I just want the pleasure of killing that bastard myself.' They both smiled in agreement and left the lab.

Songbird hunched on the roof of Comstock house, watching the hand of the prophet airship fly over him. He could see why his master would need a flagship, but he didn't understand why they couldn't also make more of him. With an army of Songbirds, Comstock would be invincible. As he sat there with his thoughts, Songbird then heard shouts and gunshots. Investigating, he thought his damaged eye was playing up, because he could see Booker Dewitt was alive and fighting. Noticing Elizabeth was with him again, Songbird fluttered his wings in rage. Not wanting to take any risks, he stayed hidden, biding his time...


	3. Hand of the prophet

As the pair neared the barges, Booker raised his arm, telling Elizabeth to stay where she was. Seconds later, large metal cylinders crashed down around them from the hand of the prophet. 'Maybe they were duds?' Elizabeth suggested. Booker shook his head and pumped his shotgun. 'They weren't designed to explode.' As if on cue, motorised patriots stepped out of them and started firing at him. Before he could get torn apart by bullets, Elizabeth noticed a tear between them, and opened it after pulling Booker out of the line of fire, warping iron riot shields In front of them. 'I owe you one.' Booker told her as he used the return to sender vigor to catch the patriots' shots, then threw them behind them, tearing apart the gears on the backs. Fighting through more founders, they finally found a barge. As they flew to the airship, Elizabeth asked 'Do you think we can be redeemed? For everything we done?' Booker leant on the wall casually and replied 'No need. Nothing can change the past.' Not done yet, Elizabeth then asked him 'Booker? Are you afraid of God?' He looked again her seriously and answered 'No. But I'm afraid of you.' He then looked panicked. 'Get down!' Instinctively, she ducked just as a huge mechanical hand almost grabbed her. In frustration, Songbird climbed from under the barge and attacked Booker from behind. Anticipating this, he ducked and blasted undertow at Songbird, remembering his weakness of water. Despite not being near enough to kill him, Songbird screeched in terror and threw himself of the barge. 'No wonder he's hydrophobic. He knows it can kill him.' He looked across the horizon for any sign of the beast, until he heard Elizabeth call him. 'Booker!' He turned just in time to see Songbird grab her and fly off. 'Not this time!' Booker shouted as he leapt forward, just managing to grab Songbird's foot. 'This was a bad idea!' Noticing him, Songbird grabbed him, but then Booker grinded his wrist with the skyhook. Letting him go, Booker grabbed Songbird's air pipe and climbed to his head. 'What are you doing?' Elizabeth yelled to him. 'I have no idea!' He called back as he clung to Songbird's neck. As they finally got to the hand of the prophet, Songbird tried to scrape Booker off his back, but he started hanging from the air pipe. Waiting until they were over a jutting platform, he aimed his shotgun and blasted at Songbird's eye, cracking it like his damaged one. Landing to clutch his eye, Songbird loosened his grip on Elizabeth, giving Booker the opportunity to pull her from Songbird's massive hand, then they both fell onto the platform. 'Get inside!' Booker shouted. They both ran through the door and slammed it shut just as Songbird charged at it.

Comstock stood in the bridge of the airship, overlooking the burning ruins of Columbia. Thinking long and hard, he finally thought of the perfect solution to turn Elizabeth against Dewitt. 'She just doesn't know the truth of who he is.' He murmured to himself. 'All the hardship, the horror, everything that happened to her. She doesn't know that Dewitt is responsible for it.' He smiled to himself, imagining their reactions once he exposes Dewitt's responsibility for all of this.

One by one, Founders and boarding vox populi anarchists fell dead as Booker gunned them down or unleashed his vigors. As they entered the maintenance deck, a handyman jumped down from the ceiling. 'False shepherd.' It growled as it ran forward. Anticipating it's massive punch, Booker leapt to the left and fired his shotgun at the handyman's head, knowing it would be useless, but just to turn it around. As it turned, Booker fired a cascade of buckshot at it's heart, cracking the container. Deciding it wasn't worth killing him here, the handyman grabbed Elizabeth and climbed up the side of the exterior. 'Booker!' Elizabeth shouted as the handyman picked up speed. 'Get the hell back here!' Booker yelled while he leapt onto a skyline. Getting a good shot, he used undertow to pull himself towards the cyborg. Clinging to it's back, he realised Elizabeth wasn't in the handyman's grip. In frustration, he attached a shock jockey crystal to it's scalp, sending countless volts of electricity coursing through it. Jumping onto that same skyline, Booker noticed a Vox barge was ahead of him. 'Jackpot.' He said as an idea occurred to him.

Comstock turned and watched 4 founders drag Elizabeth into the bridge. 'I've noticed you tend to get yourself caught quite often.' He told her. In defiance, she looked at him and replied 'I guess it's starting to become a hobby.' He stepped down towards her and asked 'has he told you yet?' In confusion, Elizabeth answered 'Told me what?' Comstock replied 'About Anna, of course. Has he told you what happened to her?' Elizabeth thought about the day Booker broke her out of the tower. After they escaped Songbird the first time, Booker almost drowned in battleship bay, and had a strange dream about someone called Anna. That night, she asked him who Anna was, but he refused to say anything. 'Was Anna his wife?' She asked. 'He was married, but his wife died in childbirth. Is that who Anna is?' Comstock shook his head, clearly disappointed. 'No. Dewitt's wife died, but their child survived. Anna was his daughter, who he lost a year later.' Elizabeth was surprised. Booker was a father? She always assumed his daughter died with his wife, but she was clearly wrong. 'What happened?' Comstock turned back towards the window and replied 'Why not ask him yourself?' As if on cue, a Vox barge hovered in front of the bridge. Outside, Songbird flew towards the barge, suspecting he knew who was piloting it.

Raising the barge to maximum height, Booker set it to fly straight at the bridge. Waiting for the right moment, he saw Songbird flying at it. Putting his plan into action, Booker jumped from the front of the barge a split second before Songbird air-tackled it. Running along Songbird's back, Booker dived towards the bridge, many metres below him.

Everyone in the bridge stared as they saw Booker falling towards the bridge. 'Is he insane?' Exclaimed a founder. Seconds later Booker smashed through the wind and landed on his front. Recovering from the fall, he staggered as he forced himself to stand, then aimed his pistol at Comstock, prompting the founders to aim their machine guns at him. 'Hold up.' He ordered. 'Let the girl go, or your prophet's meeting god early.' Hesitantly, the founders stood down. Comstock glared at Booker and told him 'No doubt you have heard the prophecy. The seed of the prophet shall sit the throne-' Booker cut him off. 'Yeah yeah. I know. And drown in flames the mountains of man. I heard this bull crap, and I get it. Translation: Elizabeth will take your place, and kill 6 billion people. Not gonna happen asshole. Last time I checked, God doesn't do racism.' Comstock answered back 'but that's not all. The rest of the prophecy follows: Beware of the false shepherd, Booker Dewitt, for he will lead the lamb astray.' Booker slightly lowered the gun in confusion. 'How did you know I was coming to Columbia? Who told you?' Comstock shook his head. 'If someone had told me of your arrival, would I be called a prophet? I know who all about you. Wounded knee, the pinkertons, the debt, the gambling and drinking, Anna-' the second he said this, Booker fired at him in rage. Reacting suspiciously quickly, Comstock ducked down, then the founders started firing. Anticipating this, Booker jumped backwards onto his back, wincing as he finally learnt he cracked his ribs in the fall. Taking aim and firing, all 4 founders lay dead around him. Before he could get another shot at Comstock, Booker yelled as he was shot in the shoulder. How does Comstock have a gun? Thinking quickly, he threw the whistler to Elizabeth, knowing she still had the note. Use that thing, whatever it does!' Hoping this would do something to help, she played a quick tune based on the note. At first, nothing happened, then the Songbird flew just outside the bridge. Before Booker could even think of shooting him, Songbird grabbed Comstock and threw him onto the deck of the airship. 'What just happened?' Booker asked, exasperated. Turning towards them, Songbird's cracked eyes turned green as he lowered his head to their head and made a quiet chirping sound. Elizabeth stroked his head affectionately and said 'Thanks for that. You're going to help us now, right?' Surprisingly, Songbird nodded. Booker stared at him as Elizabeth kept talking to like a pet who's just behaved himself. 'What?' Was all Booker could say at first. 'Is he on our side now?' Elizabeth looked at him and answered 'yes. He'll help against the Vox. If they have a whole fleet to destroy this airship, Songbird's the only one tough enough to go for the ships.' Songbird sharpened his talons in preparation for the impending battle. Before Booker could step outside, Elizabeth clutched his arm. 'Wait. I need to ask you something.' Booker turned towards her and said 'go ahead. What do you need?' Nervously, Elizabeth asked 'I was hoping to ask you, what happened to Anna?' She regretted asking this as she noticed Booker looked remorseful. 'Alright.' He said, sounding regretful. 'I guess you deserve to know.' As he started his explanation, Songbird crouched near his former enemy in interest.


	4. Anna Dewitt

Booker started his explanation as Elizabeth sat on a table. 'From what you told me, you already know who Anna was, right?' She nodded, and he continued. 'Even then, I was neck-deep in debt. Since nothing I did could pay it back, I had to give her away because of it.' Elizabeth stared in surprise. 'You gave up your daughter?' Booker nodded and continued. 'Afterwards, it took me just seconds to realise I made a mistake. I tried to get her back, but it was too late. She was already gone.' Songbird chirped sympathetically. Elizabeth was sure there was more to this. 'Who took her?' Booker thought to himself, back to the worst day of his life. 'It was some guy who worked for who I was in debt to. I think his name was...' He then paused then looked furious. 'Booker? Are you okay?' Elizabeth asked. 'Who was it?' Booker looked at her and growled 'Lutece.'

Rosalind and Robert stood on the edge of the hand of the prophet, overlooking the burning remains of Columbia. 'It's strange.' Rosalind started. Robert asked 'What is?' She replied 'Columbia is pretty much a dead city, which is also the fate of the city that Columbia copied so much from. Strange coincidence, don't you think?' Robert nodded. 'Was it the one beneath the ocean? I'm not sure if it counts as copying if what you're copying from doesn't actually exist yet.' He then turned and frowned. 'Oh dear.' Rosalind looked at him. 'Is something wrong, Robert?' He answered 'mr. Dewitt is storming over here, and he looks quite unhappy.' Seconds later, Booker grabbed Robert by the collar and aimed his pistol at his forehead. 'I think unhappy is an understatement.' Commented Rosalind. Before Robert could ask what was going on, Booker shouted 'What did you do with Anna you son of a bitch?!' Robert calmly replied 'finally. You completely restored those memories. I personally think you're better off with those ones instead of the false ones your mind created. Is that how your theory works, Rosalind?' Without waiting for an answer, Booker swung a punch, but it never connected. 'Enough of your bullshit!' He snarled. 'What happened to Anna? TELL ME!' Elizabeth tried to restrain him, then remembered Comstock. Looking towards where Songbird threw him, she saw that Comstock was gone. She was bought back when she heard a gunshot. Fearing the worst, she saw Booker looking surprised. 'How the hell are you still alive?' He asked. 'I shot you in the damn face!' Robert answered 'It could be that I'm already dead,' Rosalind finished the sentence again. 'Or you never fired in the first place. Just like you never had a grip on his collar.' Confused, Booker looked forward, and saw that Robert was gone. He then heard Robert behind him. 'If you just calm down, we can explain everything.'

After agreeing to listen to their excuses, Booker paid attention while Songbird flew to the back of the airship to fend of the Vox fleet. Rosalind started 'Yes, we both took Anna, but bear in mind this was when we were still alive, and still in Comstock's employ. After he showed his true colours, we hired you to find Elizabeth to make it up to you.' Elizabeth shook her head. 'That doesn't make sense. If you took someone's child from them, how does hiring them to rescue a complete stranger make up for it?' The Luteces then started taking turns for the next sentence. 'If you backtrack a bit' 'back to the day it happened,' 'you might notice something this time.' 'Something you never noticed back then.' 'Then follow the tears' 'up to yesterday morning' 'to find out what happened to her.' There was then an explosion in the distance, followed by Songbird's screech. 'The Vox will get past him soon.' Elizabeth said, worried. 'What do we do?' Booker then saw someone on the ramparts, limping and clutching his side. 'I have some unfinished business to deal with.'

Comstock kept his head down to avoid stray shots from the gunships, and to prevent Songbird from finding him. Just when he thought he was safe, Booker tackled him to the ground, then started punching him in the face repeatedly. 'Damn! You! You! Son of a! Bitch!' Comstock managed to throw him off long enough to stand up, but then Booker twisted his arm and grabbed him by the neck. Comstock threw a punch at Booker's stomach, causing him to let go. Something was wrong. Comstock didn't seem like the sort of man who could hold his own in a fight, yet he was skilled in using guns and physical combat. Deciding it didn't matter, Booker blocked the prophet's right hook, and countered it with his left fist, almost sending Comstock off the edge of the airship. Before he could fall to his doom, Booker grabbed his tie, stopping him falling. Comstock sneered at him. 'For redemption, Dewitt?' Booker glared in complete hatred. 'No. I just wanted the chance to do this.' At this, he pulled out his pistol and shot Comstock in the face. Just as he let the body fall to the clouds, Booker staggered back and clutched his head in pain as his vision went fuzzy. Elizabeth ran over and looked at him worryingly. 'Booker, your nose is bleeding.' After checking to confirm it, Booker definitely knew something was going on. The last time that happened was when he found out this universe's version of him was dead. 'Where's Comstock?' Elizabeth asked. Booker looked at her seriously and said 'Ironically, I'd say hell.' Looking over the edge, Elizabeth gasped. 'Oh my god. Booker...that's my tower!' Booker looked in disbelief. Sure enough, there was the remains of Elizabeth's prison on monument island. Remembering something he saw on the bridge, Booker ran inside.

Vox anarchists screamed as Songbird crushed them or threw them to their dooms. Noticing a zeppelin fly into view, he flew to it and tore apart the bridge with his talons. Not satisfied, he grabbed a gunship and threw it at the actual balloon itself, setting it on fire. A handyman jumped onto him in an attempt to smash his eyes, but Songbird threw it off, caught it, crushed it, then threw the screaming scrap at it's allies. Despite how easy his new enemies were to kill, Songbird was actually getting tired. As 5 gunships opened fire on him, he screeched in fury and jumped onto one, ripped off the main cannon, and fired at one of the others. Noticing the Vox were bringing in patriots, he changed targets as he flew back onto the airship.

'There.' Booker pointed at the lower part of a diagram of the prison. The top half was where Elizabeth lived, but the lower half was some kind of giant machine labelled "siphon." 'I saw that when I went in.' He explained. 'From what I could tell from the warning signs, this thing is designed to restrict your ability to open tears.' Elizabeth looked at it in interest. 'That explains a lot. When I was little, I used to be able to actually create tears, but now I can only open them if they're already there.' Booker had an idea. 'Maybe we can find answers if you could do that again. If we destroy the rest of the tower, we might be able to find out what Comstock knew. Your finger, how he was so good in a fight, Anna...' He stopped at that. 'Anyway, you ready for this?' Elizabeth looked at him determinately. 'I was born ready.'

Songbird waited outside for the other 2. Thanks to him, the Vox fleet was completely destroyed. While Elizabeth sympathetically checked any damage Songbird endured, Booker looked at the tower, wondering. If they did find out what happened to Anna, would it matter? Would they be able to change anything? 'Booker?' He turned to Elizabeth as she handed him the whistler. 'Let's finish this.' Booker played the song on the whistler and, as if reading his mind, Songbird launched himself at the tower. Milliseconds after he breached the side, there was a massive blue explosion which rocked the whole ship. During the confusion, Booker noticed Elizabeth was glowing. Before he could ask about it, the whistler electrified, causing him to drop it. As he looked up, there was a flash, and they were in Booker's office in New York...


	5. The truth revealed

Booker looked around in confusion. 'Why are we in my office? What's going on?' Elizabeth, who now looked normal, told him to look at the calendar. After checking it, Booker was horrified. 'This is the day that...' Before he could finish, they both heard a baby crying in the next room. 'That's Anna, isn't it?' Elizabeth asked. Seconds later, the door opened and a man stepped out. Booker recognised him as himself, 20 years previously. The main office door opened, and Robert Lutece stepped inside. 'This is your last chance, mr. Dewitt.' He said. The past Booker then slowly handed him Anna Dewitt, asleep in bundled blue blanket. 'Just promise me she'll be fine, alright?' Past Booker demanded. Robert nodded and said 'Thank you mr. Dewitt. The debt is payed. Mr Comstock sends his regards.' With that, he left. The present day Booker stared mesmerised at what he just seen. 'Comstock? He was the guy I was in debt to?' Elizabeth looked at him sympathetically. 'I don't think many people would have managed what you did. What happened next?' There was another flash, and they were in an alley. On the wall, a tear revealed the Lutece lab with Rosalind by some sort of machine. On their side, Robert was holding Anna and was passing her to a younger version of Comstock. Booker then noticed the past Comstock actually looked quite Similair to himself. Realising what this was, Booker stepped forward to intervene, but Elizabeth held him back. 'This is just a projection of what happened. Technically, we're still on the airship, but I'm projecting this around us so we could find out what happened.' Almost immediately after, the past Booker sprinted into the alley and shouted 'Hey! The deal's off! Give her back!' Panicked, the past Robert climbed through the tear, but the past Booker managed to grab the past Comstock. 'That's my daughter you son of a bitch!' He struggled to pull Anna out of Comstock's grip. The present day Booker stepped forward to intervene, but Elizabeth raised her arm in his way and shook her head sadly. Moments later, Comstock won the struggle and took Anna through the tear a split second before it closed. As the past Booker fell to his knees in grief, the present Booker forced himself to watch, reliving his greatest mistake, and noticed something fall from where the tear was.

There was another flash, and the pair were back on the airship. A moment passed, and Elizabeth noticed Booker looking down, fists clenched. 'I'm so sorry Booker. I shouldn't have shown you that. I should have just watched it myself and told you what I saw, but I was...' Booker cut her off. 'What was that? The thing after the tear closed. What was it?' Elizabeth hesitated, then answered 'It was her finger. The tear cut it off as it closed.' Booker looked up, clearly disgusted. 'What happened to her?' Elizabeth replied 'we do what the Luteces said. Follow the tears.'

After following tears offering quick glimpses of Anna's life over the last 19 years, they came to the last tear the Luteces told them to check. 'So this will show us where Anna was yesterday?' Elizabeth nodded. Looking back, she noticed Songbird was just lying there, apparently unconscious. 'He should be okay.' Elizabeth stated. 'The blast from the tower must've got to him.' Booker nodded then told her to open the tear. Through the hole in time and space, neither of them were expecting what it revealed. They were back in the tower, one day earlier. The only occupant was. Elizabeth from when Booker found her. While she was just reading, the gold plate in the ceiling started creaking. Seconds later, Booker fell through the ceiling and caught himself on the banister, then fell onto the floor, leading to Elizabeth panicking and throwing books at him. After the tear closed, Booker stepped back in confusion. 'No, we were looking for Anna, not going down memory lane!' Elizabeth was just as confused as he was. 'I don't know what happened. I just opened the tear like I always open them.' Booker knew something was wrong. 'Open a different one. Try this morning.' She did so, but they only saw the interior of the First Lady airship, Booker unconscious on the floor and Elizabeth trying to fly it herself. As soon as the Vox boarded, the tear closed. 'This doesn't make sense! Keep trying!' Booker ordered, getting frustrated. They kept searching through the space of those 2 days to find out what happened to Anna and where she was now, but they only saw replays of their journey. The more of it they watched, the more agitated Booker got, and the more Elizabeth had that nagging suspicion since they seen the first one. After finally giving up, Booker pulled out his pistol and threw it at the air in anger. 'Where is she? Why are the tears just showing us what we did?!' After quickly shutting the latest tear as it was about to show Fitzroy's death, as she really didn't want that trauma again, Elizabeth thought she should tell Booker what she thinks is the reason for the strange tear images. 'Booker.' She started, voice trembling. 'I think... I think I'm Anna.' Booker was paralysed at this. 'What?' Was all he could say. They both stared at each other for what seemed like an age, and Booker realised it all made sense. How her life-story seems to fit into his ultimate failure, how Comstock was connected to both of them, the coincidence of her age at the time of the incident, Booker even knew now why he thought Elizabeth looked so familiar. She looked quite Similair to his late wife.

Songbird finally regained consciousness, but his mind was in pieces. Looking around, he saw Booker and Elizabeth staring at each other in shock, then he lunged. Before he could react, Booker was flung to edge of the airship. 'Stop! What are you doing?' Elizabeth shouted to Songbird. Much to Booker's surprise, Songbird actually attacked her as well. As soon as he slammed her to the wall, Booker ran forward. 'No! Over here you oversized shit stain!' Songbird looked at him and screeched. There was something different there. It sounded lower pitched and rough, as if he was...rabid. 'Let me guess.' Booker casually said to him. 'The energy the siphon released when you smashed it must have got to your head, making you go insane.' Songbird howled and followed with a series of fast attacks. Booker dodge-rolled to Elizabeth, then there was another white flash.

Rapture. 1960.

The big daddy revved up it's drill and skewered a splicer. Moaning like an angry whale, it grabbed another by the neck and smashed it through the wall. Satisfied with the ADAM harvested, the little sister tugged the beast's hand. 'Come on mr. Bubbles. Let's go.' 10 minutes later, the little sister felt a strange pang of depression. At the same time, the big daddy groaned in pain and clutched it's helmet. Whatever this strange occurrence was, the same thing happened to every protector/gatherer pair in Rapture, and in the helmets of the big daddies, the men they used to be had strange nosebleeds...

10 minutes earlier.

Booker looked up after the flash. They were in a large room with posters advertising something called "plasmids." Looking around, he saw Elizabeth sadly looking out the window. On the other side, Songbird desperately tried to get in, screeching in...fear?

'Wait a minute.' Booker realised the room they were in was under the sea, and songbird was out in the ocean. As soon as Booker remembered Songbird's weakness, the beast's left eye shattered, spraying some kind of black substance. Songbird screeched and clutched his head in agony. His wings bent and buckled, and his leathery skin peeled, revealing the machinery beneath, and what looked like flesh. 'It's all right. I'm here.' Elizabeth said to him, tearing up. Songbird stopped thrashing and seemed to be trying to listen. As Elizabeth told him to 'let go', Songbird's red eye turned green as he accepted his death. He made a low chirping noise, then his eye broke apart. Songbird moaned quietly then died, his colossal corpse sinking to the sea-bed. Booker noticed Elizabeth was crying. 'Anna?' He started. 'I'm sorry.' Elizabeth looked at him, then hugged him quickly. 'Thank you father.'


	6. Redemption

After a minute of looking down through the window, Songbird's death still fresh in their minds, Booker and Elizabeth turned to leave. 'Where to?' Booker asked. Elizabeth led the way to a bathysphere, miraculously without encountering any splicers. As the bathysphere launched, Booker stared out into Rapture. 'A city under the ocean?' He scoffed. 'Ridiculous.' Once they reached the surface, they saw the lighthouse containing the bathysphere dock, and flaming pieces of a crashed plane. Elizabeth stared at the stars in amazement. 'That's a lot of doors.' She exclaimed in wonder. Booker looked at her in confusion. 'Those are stars. Not doors. What are you talking about?' Elizabeth looked just as confused as he was. Then she went 'oh right. The door right there.' She pointed at the entrance to the lighthouse. They went through, and they saw an entire ocean of lighthouses. 'What the hell am I looking at?' Booker asked. 'What's with the lighthouses?' No answer. He turned and saw that Elizabeth was already ahead, walking along a boardwalk that seemed to materialise as they both walked. Catching up, Booker called 'Elizabeth, or Anna, or...' He looked embarrassed. 'Sorry, I'm not sure what to call you now.' She smiled reassuringly. 'Just call me Elizabeth. I'm more used to that.' He nodded and asked 'what is this place? Why are these lighthouses here? Hell, why are WE here?' She looked at him seriously. 'I think I have an idea on how we can stop Comstock.' At this point, Booker decided to just give up asking and work these things out himself. 'Are the lighthouses supposed to mean something? I got to Columbia from one, and we left that underwater city and ended up at one. Are they actually entrances to other universes?' Elizabeth nodded. 'In every dimension, there is always a different version of what happened, us, Songbird, the city, everything.' Booker wanted to make more sense of it. 'What do you mean stop Comstock?' He's dead. I blew his brains out and his body fell off the edge. I don't know how...' He finally understood after a short pause. 'I think I gets it now. We go back to before he started all of this, then I kill the son of a bitch.' Elizabeth explained further 'Then everything he did, everyone who died because of him, it would never have happened!' Booker finished off 'And I would have never gotten into debt to him, which means I wouldn't have given you up!' Elizabeth smiled. 'I was just thinking that.' Booker knew where to go to initiate their plan. 'Get us back to where and when Comstock was born. The second we get there, I'll smother the bastard.' They went to the door to their destination, but when Elizabeth opened it slightly, she peeked through and looked nervous. 'Booker?' She asked. 'Were you ever baptised?' Booker was losing his nerve over all the confusing moments. 'Almost. After wounded knee I went for it, but I walked away from it at the last second.' He then noticed Elizabeth had the same heartbroken expression as when he told her they weren't going to Paris. 'Actually,' She started nervously. 'Let's forget about it? I don't think we need to...' Booker knew something was wrong. 'What the hell are you talking about? This could be our one chance to fix everything.' She looked quite distressed. 'Well, doing this would mean killing a child. You're a tough guy Booker, but I don't think even you could do that. Besides, all of it's behind us. I could just get us to Paris, and we leave it all behind.' Booker could tell she was hiding something. 'Spit it out.' He told her. She stayed silent, looking at him sadly. In frustration. He went to open the door, but Elizabeth held his wrist. 'Wait. Are you sure this is what you want to do?' Keeping himself calm, Booker replied 'Yes. It's the only way to undo what I did to you.' He opened the door, and he was not expecting what was on the other side.

They were in a shallow lake with a priest and many other Christian commuters. 'What the hell?' Booker exclaimed. 'What are we doing here? What's this got to do with...' He noticed Elizabeth was tearing up. 'This is the dimension Comstock was born in. Here, you went through with the baptism...and changed your name. Booker stared in horror. 'Wait...I'm Comstock?!' He asked, worried. When she confirmed it, he stared at his reflection in the water. 'I guess that's why you had second thoughts.' He said quietly. After a minute of silence, he looked up with new determination. 'I'm Comstock right now, am I? In this place?' Elizabeth replied 'not yet.' Booker continued. 'Which means, if I die here and now, I would never be Comstock. Is that right?' Elizabeth was clearly horrified. 'What?! Booker, whatever it is you're planning, don't do it. I'm begging you...' He cut her off. 'What do you expect me to do?' He asked, starting to get annoyed. 'Make your life a living hell, kill everyone who knows about you, and cause the end of the world?' Taking a second, he pulled out his pistol and checked the remaining bullets. As soon as he raised it, Elizabeth grabbed his arm. 'Don't.' She was crying now. 'Isn't there any other way to get rid of Comstock?' Booker looked at her sympathetically and answered 'no. If the whole "constants and variables" thing is right, then this will not only stop me becoming Comstock, but he would never have existed in any other universe.' Finally accepting his plan, Elizabeth took the gun from him. 'Let me do it. I can't add suicide to everything you went through.' Booker looked add his bandaged hand, remembering that moment when the ticket booth operator stabbed it. 'I can handle it. Elizabeth...' She cut him off. 'Just...just don't. You managed it with Slate. I should do it.' After a few seconds, she hugged him quickly and said 'I'm sorry father.' Booker returned and said 'don't worry about it.' He then felt the gun barrel on the side of his head. 'Love you Anna.' At this, Elizabeth cried on him, then fired, killing him instantly.

The Luteces waited patiently in Booker's office. After Rosalind checked her watch, Robert asked 'Where did you get that?' She replied 'WHEN did I get, you mean. I could ask you the same thing, but I won't.' Robert looked at his own and commented 'Touché.' They turned and saw Booker on the floor. 'Ah. Welcome back .' Rosalind said while Robert helped him up. 'How are you?' He asked. Booker looked around and asked 'how are you two still here? Comstock's dead, which means he never killed you, and...' He then went pale. 'Elizabeth.' He tried to open the door, but it was locked. 'We're still here because... How do we explain it?' Robert explained 'We were both spread across all of time and space, meaning we stay like this.' Booker then asked 'How come I still remember all of it if it never happened?' Rosalind simply told him to remove the bandage on his right hand. He did so, and saw that the wound and the AD brand were gone. 'What...?' Robert told him 'Time is just setting into the new timeline, so you will forget it all soon. Columbia, the founders, the Vox, Songbird, etc.' Surprisingly, Booker didn't like the full sound of it. 'Everything?' Rosalind added 'Well, not necessarily. There will be...fragments of what never happened. There will most likely be subconscious memories, some people from Columbia with no recollection of the city, you never know.' Booker then noticed there was something odd about his office. It was starting to look cleaner and more comfortable. 'Almost done mr. Dewitt. I hope this was enough to make up for what we did. Goodbye then.' He turned to leave, but then Rosalind stopped him. 'Wait. We forgot something.' She turned to Booker and asked 'What would you like to remember? The fragments of what never happened can be unpredictable, but we can make one of them at least certain. Which would that be?' Booker thought for a minute of what to decide on. At last, he decided. 'Got it. It's something I promised. Quite recently actually.' Both Luteces smiled, then everything went dark.

1898

'Daddy?' Anna poked Booker on the arm to wake him up. After a whole minute of her insistent prodding, he finally woke up. Booker looked at Anna. That was when it hit him. It was her 6th birthday. Good thing he remembered to organise something. He went downstairs 10 minutes later and found Anna reading at the table. After giving her some cereal, he then told her what the plan was. 'I think You might like what we're doing.' She looked up in interest. 'Yes?' Booker then gave her an envelope. Trying not to feel disappointed, Anna opened it, expecting a card, but instead, there were 2 ship tickets to... 'Paris?' Anna looked at him, mouth gaping. 'Daddy, are we going to Paris?' He smiled and nodded, then she went hysterical. As Booker stood up, Anna hugged him before he could. 'Thank you so much Daddy. I love you so much.' As they were on their way to the dock, Anna asked Booker if he had a nice sleep the night before. He replied 'Actually, it was a bit weird actually. In it, we were in a city in the sky, you were grown up, I was older and kept fighting guys with guns, and there was a huge flying...thing chasing us.' Anna looked at him, fascinated. 'Did I look like mommy in it?' Booker answered 'yep.' He then noticed she looked a bit guilty. When he told her how her mother died, she thought it was her fault, which he kept telling her it wasn't. They cleared it up quickly, but she still blamed herself sometimes. As they boarded the ship, Booker noticed Anna had a code-book and lock picking set. For some reason, she was always interested in that kind of topic. As he picked up his bag, he saw a man and a woman talking, most likely twins, and he had a strange feeling he seen them before. They noticed him and waved politely. After returning it, Booker went to his quarters of the ship. It was easy to find since he could hear Anna singing something that reminded him of Columbia. He paused. What the hell is Columbia? Maybe it's just something he read? He decided to forget about it. As he went in, Anna asked him 'Daddy? Who's Elizabeth?' He froze. Where did he hear that name before? 'I don't know. Why?' She shrugged. 'I think I heard of someone called that before. Was that mom's name?' Booker replied 'no. It was...' He paused when he saw something out the window. He thought he saw something on the cathedral, but it was just a weird looking gargoyle. He couldn't help but feel it was...watching him. Booker dismissed that stupid idea, and relaxed on the bed while Anna got some paper and started drawing what looked like a bird and a cage. A good distance away, the gargoyle watched as the ship disembarked for Paris. Deciding to resume his "job" as the Dewitt's "guardian angel", Songbird flew after it quickly, taking cover in the clouds.

(Done. I hope you liked it, and tell me what you think, or I'll play Songbird's tune and laugh as he tears you a new one!)


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